Meet Phoebe Porter, DESIGN Canberra’s new designer-in-residence
Posted on
Contemporary jeweller Pheobe Porter has been selected for the prestigious role of Designer-in-Residence for the 2019 DESIGN Canberra festival.
Commissioned to create the 2019 signature artwork which will feature in a Craft ACT exhibition and throughout the festival’s visual communications, Pheobe has created an intriguing piece called Elements of Balance.
The work has been created in response to the 2019 festival theme of utopia and the festival’s celebration of the Bauhaus 100th anniversary.
Referencing the form of the crane (familiar in Canberra skylines today), Elements of Balance is deceptively simple.
Two contrasting elements of equal weight balance each other perfectly. 5 grams of gold (a highly valued traditional material) is balanced against 5 grams of aluminium (an industrial material, representing progress and contemporary mass-produced objects of desire).
“To me, utopia is a vision of the ideal way to live in an ideal environment,” explains Pheobe. “But there is a central tension embodied in that concept: striving to achieve a state of utopia requires the careful balance of competing values to attain a harmonious society and life.”
“On a personal level, many of us struggle to balance our passions, commitments and responsibilities in a way that feels satisfying and sustainable for a meaningful life. This same tension underpins broader systems such as city planning whether it be the tension between providing enough housing while retaining green and open spaces, or between providing fast transport solutions while retaining a beautiful civic centre.”
Pheobe Porter’s Elements of Balance.
Having graduated from the Gold and Silversmithing Workshop at the ANU School of Art and Design in 2001, Pheobe was tutored by German-born Silversmith, Johannes Kuhnen and mentored by Australian jeweller, Blanche Tilden.
Her work has recently been exhibited in the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC, is featured in several Australian public collections including the National Gallery of Australia and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Pheobe Porter’s Elements of Balance.
An Accredited Professional Member of Craft ACT, Pheobe has exhibited nationally and globally and is rapidly making her mark in the Australian design industry.
“We are delighted to welcome Phoebe Porter as DESIGN Canberra’s 2019 designer-in-residence,” says CEO and Artistic Director of DESIGN Canberra Rachael Coghlan.
“Her stunning new work is contemporary, thought-provoking, beautiful, intelligent, world-class and grounded in authentic, quality local design. Phoebe is a celebrated and respected member of Canberra’s contemporary craft and design community and her signature artwork expresses everything we hope to achieve for this year’s DESIGN Canberra festival.”
Taking place from 4-24 November 2019, DESIGN Canberra will transform the nation’s capital, hosting over 150 events.
With a focus on architecture, art and culture explored, interrogated and celebrated through exhibitions, talks, performances and events, DESIGN Canberra is one of Canberra’s most exciting annual events, with the full program to be announced in the coming months.
More information on the festival can be found at designcanberrafestival.com.au.
Photography: Andrew Sikorski
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.